Associate User Experience Designer

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Ascend Learning is seeking a talented and forward-thinking UX Designer to create intuitive, user-centered experiences for our digital products. This is a role for a designer who brings strong design fundamentals and actively embraces AI tools as part of their creative process to move faster, think bigger, and concept more boldly.

• You'll collaborate with product managers, developers, and stakeholders to translate business goals and user needs into effective design solutions using AI-assisted workflows to rapidly explore design directions, generate concepts, and iterate with confidence. The ideal candidate is proficient in Figma, Claude, and emerging AI-powered design tools, and brings a strong foundation in design thinking and human-centered practice.

• We're looking for someone who sees AI not as a shortcut, but as a creative multiplier, a designer who can harness it to spend less time on the routine and more time on the thinking that matters.

• WHERE YOU’LL WORK

• This position can work hybrid from one of our office locations in Leawood, KS, Burlington, MA, or remote within the United States.

• HOW YOU’LL SPEND YOUR TIME

• Supporting UX Design: Partner with senior designers to craft user flows, wireframes, and prototypes for well-defined features, balancing user needs with business outcomes under their guidance.

• AI-Assisted Exploration: Begin building fluency with AI tools (Claude, generative design tools, and emerging platforms) to explore design directions and speed up early-stage iteration, with support from senior team members.

• Research & Validation: Assist with user research and usability testing, helping surface meaningful insights that validate design decisions with real evidence.

• Collaboration: Work closely with product managers, engineers, and senior designers to present, discuss, and refine design solutions, building confidence in communicating design decisions over time.

• Design Systems: Apply and contribute to our design system, helping ensure consistent experiences across products and platforms.

• Design Excellence: Learn and apply best practices in interaction design, accessibility, and design patterns, with feedback and mentorship from senior designers.

• WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, or a related field.

• 1+ years of experience in UX or product design (internships and academic projects considered).

• Proficiency in Figma; exposure to AI-powered design and ideation tools (Claude, generative tools, or similar) is a nice-to-have, with a willingness to learn.

• Comfortable working alongside front-end developers and contributing to design-to-dev handoffs.

• A natural collaborator with strong communication skills and the ability to present and defend design decisions to diverse audiences.

• A developing critical thinker who is comfortable asking questions, seeking feedback, and growing their ability to navigate ambiguity and solve problems with support from the team.

• Portfolio that demonstrates your design process, range of work, and ability to connect design decisions to user and business outcomes.

• HIRING RANGE

• The current full-time, annualized base pay hiring range for this role is $71,100.00-$101,640.00. In accordance with applicable state laws, we are providing the expected pay range for this position. Individual compensation will be determined by various factors, including relevant experience, qualifications, current business needs and local market factors. Most regular, full-time employees are eligible to participate in an Ascend incentive bonus or sales plan.

BENEFITS

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• Company paid life Insurance

• 401(k) with company match

• Paid time off and parental leave

• Employee assistance program

• Other wellness programs such as Headspace and Airvet

• Charitable matching program

• Fostering A Sense of Belonging

• Our values-driven culture unifies our teams and inspires a mindset of action, innovation, and collaboration, with a relentless focus on customers. We seek out and celebrate all people and perspectives and cultivate an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and be authentic. Our culture is firmly rooted in the belief that by embracing our differences and drawing on diverse perspectives, we are a stronger, more innovative, and more successful organization where employees experience a sense of belonging.

• Ascend Learning, LLC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer (M/F/Vets/Disabled). No agency or search firm submissions will be accepted. Applications for U.S.-based positions with Ascend Learning, LLC must be legally authorized to work in the United States, and verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

• Nearest Major Market: Boston